Current deployment techniques for an installation and workover control system (IWOCS) in connection with subsea drilling umbilicals utilize mechanically supporting the vertical self weight loads and hydrodynamically induced lateral forces with clamps for attachment to a drilling riser. Generally, the IWOCS umbilical is a means for providing electro-hydraulic control to a subsea tree during tree installation, well completion, and well workover activities. Conventional deployment methods involve clamping the electro-hydraulic IWOCS umbilical directly to each joint (generally spaced about 75 feet apart) of drilling riser when the riser and lower marine riser package (LMRP)/blow out preventer (BOP) stack are deployed. An IWOCS is used in conventional operations to meet the requirements of vertical and horizontal completions for subsea drilling operations. Major system elements typically include: Workover Control Panel, a Workover Reel and Umbilical, and an Umbilical Termination Assembly (UTA). Inherent conventional deployment methodology is the expenditure of additional critical path (centerline) time required to make up the clamps and safety risks in deployment. Clamping the umbilical to riser requires approximately ten minutes per riser joint to install clamps, which represents a delay to the critical path operation. Therefore in 7,000 feet water depth, approximately 16 hours of rig time could be saved per riser trip by avoiding the need for installing clamps on critical path.
Additionally, if an umbilical or termination assembly malfunctions for any reason, the entire marine riser, BOP and/or LMRP must be recovered from the ocean floor to the rig surface to access and repair the umbilical. Such recovery is very time consuming and expensive, as it requires substantial work and time for recovery operations. Therefore, a need has existed for many years for a process to effectively and efficiently de-couple the IWOCS umbilical from the drilling riser.